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Astronomy news
In Disney's 'Moana,' the characters navigate using the stars—an astronomer explains how these methods work
If you have visited an island like one of the Hawaiian Islands, Tahiti or Easter Island, also known as Rapa Nui, you may have noticed how small these land masses appear against the vast Pacific Ocean. If you're on Hawaii, ...
Astronomy
Dec 25, 2024
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Image: The twin galaxies NGC 4496A and NGC 4496B
NGC 4496 in the constellation Virgo consists of two spiral galaxies, NGC 4496A (upper large galaxy) and NGC 4496B (lower galaxy). They are in the same line of sight from Earth but located at quite different distances, and ...
Astronomy
Dec 24, 2024
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Is the universe a fractal?
For decades, cosmologists have wondered if the large-scale structure of the universe is a fractal: if it looks the same no matter the scale. And the answer is: no, not really. But in some ways, yes. Look, it's complicated.
Astronomy
Dec 24, 2024
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Observations detect young and energetic pulsar in a supernova remnant
An international team of astronomers has reported the discovery of a new pulsar, which received the designation PSR J1631–4722. The newfound pulsar, which is young and energetic, turns out to be associated with a supernova ...
Quantum correlations could solve the black hole information paradox
The black hole information paradox has puzzled physicists for decades. New research shows how quantum connections in spacetime itself may resolve the paradox, and in the process leave behind a subtle signature in gravitational ...
Astronomy
Dec 23, 2024
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Hubble spies spiral galaxy NGC 2566
This NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope image features the spiral galaxy NGC 2566, which sits 76 million light-years away in the constellation Puppis. A prominent bar of stars stretches across the center of this galaxy, and ...
Astronomy
Dec 23, 2024
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Two stars may be orbiting each other near a supermassive black hole in our Milky Way galaxy
Scientists have spotted what appear to be two stars whipping around each other near the supermassive black hole at the center of our Milky Way galaxy.
Astronomy
Dec 21, 2024
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Dark energy 'doesn't exist' so can't be pushing 'lumpy' universe apart, physicists say
One of the biggest mysteries in science—dark energy—doesn't actually exist, according to researchers looking to solve the riddle of how the universe is expanding.
Astronomy
Dec 20, 2024
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Latest gravitational wave observations conflict with expectations from stellar models
Almost 300 binary mergers have been detected so far, indicated by their passing gravitational waves. These measurements from the world's gravitational wave observatories put constraints on the masses and spins of the merging ...
Clever trick to cook young stars detected for first time—astronomers highlight magnetic fields as the missing ingredient
The missing ingredient for cooking up stars in the same way you might steam your Christmas pudding has been spotted for the first time by astronomers. Much like a pressure cooker has a weight on top of its lid to keep the ...
Astronomy
Dec 19, 2024
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HD 65907: The mysterious case of the resurrected star
The star HD 65907 is not what it appears to be. It's a star that looks young, but on closer inspection, it is actually much, much older. What's going on? Research suggests that it is a resurrected star.
Astronomy
Dec 19, 2024
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Webb offers best glimpse ever into icy planetesimals of early solar system
New studies led by researchers at the University of Central Florida offer for the first time a clearer picture of how the outer solar system formed and evolved based on analyses of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and centaurs.
Astronomy
Dec 19, 2024
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Astronomers detect new 1.9-second pulsar using FAST
Using the Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) in China, astronomers have discovered a new pulsar with a spin period of about two seconds. The newly detected pulsar, designated PSR J1922+37, was found ...
Unveiling the uncharted Milky Way: Completing the galactic stellar map
By peering into the cosmic dance of stars, a team led by researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Astrophysics Potsdam (AIP) has unraveled the complex structure of our Milky Way galaxy. Assuming that each observed star ...
Astronomy
Dec 19, 2024
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Distant blazar discovery supports rapid black hole formation in the early universe
Astronomers have discovered an important piece of the puzzle of how supermassive black holes were able to grow so quickly in the early universe: a special kind of active galactic nucleus so distant that its light has taken ...
Astronomy
Dec 18, 2024
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NASA finds 'sideways' black hole using legacy data and new techniques
NASA researchers have discovered a perplexing case of a black hole that appears to be "tipped over," rotating in an unexpected direction relative to the galaxy surrounding it. That galaxy, called NGC 5084, has been known ...
Astronomy
Dec 18, 2024
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Back to the past: The death of stars reveals their birth
A new article published in Universe describes an approach that looks back from the deaths of stars to their births, allowing the so-called initial mass function (IMF), i.e. the way in which star masses are distributed after ...
Astronomy
Dec 18, 2024
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A new class of cosmic X-ray sources discovered
An international team of astronomers, led by researchers from the Astronomical Observatory of the University of Warsaw, have identified a new class of cosmic X-ray sources. The findings have been published in The Astrophysical ...
Astronomy
Dec 18, 2024
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Uncovering a centaur's tracks: Scientists examine unique asteroid-comet hybrid
Although our solar system is billions of years old, we've only recently become better acquainted with one of its more dynamic and captivating inhabitants known as (2060) Chiron.
Astronomy
Dec 18, 2024
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Dormant massive black hole in the early universe challenges existing models
Scientists have spotted a massive black hole in the early universe that is "napping" after stuffing itself with too much food. Like a bear gorging itself on salmon before hibernating for the winter, or a much-needed nap after ...
Astronomy
Dec 18, 2024
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More news
Hubble images spiral galaxy NGC 5643
How to find a comet before it hits Earth
Other news
Fish-friendly dentistry: New method makes oral research non-lethal
NASA probe makes closest ever pass by the sun
Researchers reveal full-gray optical trap in structured light
Two Earth-sized exoplanets orbiting nearby star detected
Extremely rare baby mammoth found in Siberia
Biologists studying apples discover structural cell protein also directly regulates gene transcription
